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4-Year Swap

Oct 06, 2023
If you read a lot of mortgage rate commentary, you'll see Canada's 5-year yield continuously cited as a fixed-rate indicator. It's a handy, rough guide to the direction of 5-year fixed funding costs—most of the time. Practically speaking, insured 5-year fixed rates approach

A-Lending

Oct 30, 2023
"A" lending refers to prime mortgage lending; that is, lending to the most creditworthy borrowers. It differs from "B" lending, which refers to the non-prime mortgage market.

Alt-A

Apr 24, 2023
"Alt-A" stands for alternative 'A.' Alt-A mortgages are a classification of loans with more risk than prime ('A') mortgages but less risk than subprime ('B') mortgages. Canada's top alt-A lenders include the likes of Home Trust, Equitable Bank and First

ARM

Jul 09, 2023
An ARM is an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage. It's a floating-rate mortgage where the payment rises and falls with the lender's prime rate. With ARMs, the borrower's amortization remains constant as the prime rate goes up and down. An ARM is technically different from a variable-rate

B-20

Feb 09, 2024
The B-20 guideline, established by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), is a set of underwriting standards that federally regulated lenders are expected to follow. The aim is to protect financial system stability by making sure borrowers can handle their payments and lenders don't overextend

Bankable

Sep 26, 2023
Able to be approved for a mortgage at a bank. This typically refers to a well-qualified prime customer.

Base Effects

May 15, 2023
"Base effects" refers to how economic values from a year ago affect the rate of change in economic data today. Take inflation, for example. If inflation was high in the same month a year ago, that high value would drop out of the calculation when inflation is recalculated

BDM

Dec 22, 2023
BDM = Business development manager. In the mortgage broker market, BDMs perform a vital sales role for lenders and suppliers. BDMs help brokers learn products, get assistance with underwriting and fulfillment, track performance and get rate exceptions, among many other things.

Bearish

May 29, 2023
In the context of interest rates, as used here on MortgageLogic.news, "bearish" refers to a downward influence. So if something is "bearish for rates" it means that it's likely to pressure rates lower, other things equal.

BFS

Oct 30, 2023
BFS stands for business for self (i.e., self-employed).

Big 6

Nov 14, 2024
Canada's six biggest banks. As of 2024, they are (in this order): 1. RBC 2. TD 3. Scotiabank 4. BMO 5. CIBC 6. National Bank

BoC

Mar 03, 2025
BoC is the abbreviation for the Bank of Canada.

Bond Vigilantes

Apr 18, 2025
Bond vigilantes are investors who actively sell bonds to protest or influence government fiscal or monetary policies they deem unsustainable, such as excessive federal borrowing, unchecked inflation or threats to central bank independence. By selling bonds, vigilantes drive up yields, increasing borrowing costs for governments, effectively forcing policy changes. The

Breakeven Rate

Oct 02, 2023
Breakeven rates are used to estimate market expectations of inflation.  A breakeven rate is simply the difference in yield between inflation-protected bonds (i.e., U.S. Treasury TIPS) and regular government bonds of the same maturity. For example: If regular government bonds yield 5% and TIPS yield 3% for the

Bulk Insurance

Sep 12, 2023
Bulk insurance (a.k.a. portfolio insurance) is a specialized form of mortgage default insurance that lenders purchase for a portfolio of loans. Bulk insurance protects the lender from borrower defaults on a broader scale. It serves three primary purposes: 1. Risk reduction 2. Securitization (Liquid markets like the Canada

Bullish

May 29, 2023
In the context of interest rates, as used here on MortgageLogic.news, "bullish" refers to an upward influence. So if something is "bullish for rates" it means that it's likely to push rates higher, other things equal.

CDS

Oct 30, 2023
CDS is short for credit default swaps. CDS is a type of insurance that bond investors can buy to protect themselves against an entity (e.g., a bank) defaulting. MLN routinely refers to bank CDS spread data in our news stories. We typically get this data from S&P

CMB

Nov 07, 2023
CMB is short for Canada Mortgage Bond. The CMB market is a securitization method. It lets lenders sell pools of mortgages to investors. Lenders take the capital raised from CMB issuances and lend it out as new mortgages. They then package up those mortgages, sell them, and the cycle happens

Collateral Charge

Dec 11, 2024
A collateral charge is a type of mortgage registered against your property. Unlike the typical 'standard charge' mortgage, a collateral charge allows the lender to: * Secure multiple loans against your property * Register the charge for more than the actual mortgage amount, sometimes up to 125% of the property

Composition Effect

Nov 29, 2023
The composition effect is a statistical phenomenon that causes average home prices to be misleading. Take CREA's average Canadian home price for example. If there is a shift in the types of homes being sold (e.g., more high-priced single-family homes instead of low-priced condos), that is a

Contract Rate

Jul 23, 2023
The mortgage rate used to calculate a borrower's payments, as required by his/her mortgage contract.

Conversion Rate

Jan 29, 2025
A conversion rate refers to the fixed interest rate a borrower receives when they choose to convert their variable-rate mortgage into a fixed-rate mortgage with the same lender. The conversion rate is based on the lender's current fixed rates at the time of conversion. However, many lenders charge

CORRA

Jul 26, 2023
What is CORRA? It's a question we get asked all the time, and it's not the easiest rate to explain. CORRA stands for "Canadian Overnight Repo Rate Average." It is a reference rate that's widely used in the Canadian overnight market. It

Correlation

Jan 30, 2024
Correlation is a statistical measure that tells you how much two things move together. Correlation values range from -1 to +1. A correlation of +1 indicates a perfect positive relationship, meaning that every time one variable increases, the other increases proportionately. A correlation of -1 implies the reverse—a perfect

Covered Bond

Jan 30, 2024
A covered bond is a debt securities issued by a bank, secured by a pool of uninsured mortgages. The bank issuer remains liable for the bonds, providing an extra layer of security for investors, as they have recourse to both the cover pool and the issuer. Canadian covered bonds are

CPI

Nov 21, 2023
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the cost of living. It tracks a weighted average of prices in a government-selected basket of consumer goods and services. Changes in the CPI are used to gauge inflation and such changes often affect mortgage rates, especially when CPI is trending.

Discretionary Rates

Sep 28, 2023
Discretionary rates are unpublished discounted rates that Big 6 banks offer to well-qualified borrowers. The best discretionary rates are made available to top customers and those who negotiate. MLN estimates the median discretionary rates for the Big 6 banks in its Canadian Mortgage Rate Survey. The estimates assume a well-qualified

DoF

Sep 18, 2024
DoF stands for Department of Finance. Canada's Department of Finance oversees the country's finances, manages the budget and sets fiscal, tax, debt management and financial system policies. In the mortgage market, the DoF drafts policies that affect the mortgage market, establishes default insurance rules, and regulates

Dot Plot

Oct 03, 2023
The dot plot, as it's colloquially known, shows where individual Federal Reserve officials predict interest rates going in the future. Formally known as the “Summary of Economic Projections” (SEP), the Fed releases the dot plot every quarter (March, June, September, and December). It is scrutinized by Wall Street

Dovish

Jul 21, 2023
“Dovish” refers to a type of monetary policy that favours lower interest rates and more stimulus to boost economic growth and employment. If the Bank of Canada has a dovish stance, it means it wants to make borrowing easier for consumers and businesses, which can increase spending, demand, and production.

FICO

Feb 09, 2024
FICO is short for FICO score. A FICO score, named after the Fair Isaac Corporation, is a three-digit number ranging from 300 to 900 that lenders use to evaluate an individual's creditworthiness. It's calculated based on credit reports and reflects payment history, amounts owed, length of

Floater

Oct 27, 2024
A floating-rate mortgage. There are two flavours of floaters in Canada: * Variable-rate mortgages * Adjustable-rate mortgages

FOMC

Dec 13, 2023
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is part of the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed). Its vital role is to determine the monetary policy of the United States, mainly through setting the federal funds rate, which is the interest rate at which depository institutions lend funds maintained at the Federal

FOMO

Jun 02, 2024
FOMO is short for "fear of missing out." FOMO has been a hallmark of Canada's real estate market for years, with Canadians conditioned to think that home prices appreciate rapidly and don't stay down for long.

Forbearance

Nov 10, 2023
Forbearance is when a lender grants payment relief to a borrower in financial need. It typically entails the lender pausing or reducing one's mortgage payments for a limited time. The goal is to help the borrower get back on their feet so they can continue paying as agreed

Forward Curve

May 29, 2023
In the bond market, the forward curve is a graphical representation of where traders think interest rates will be in the future. The forward rate curve is useful because it helps traders anticipate future interest rate movements. If the curve is upward sloping, it suggests that the market expects interest

Forward Rates

Aug 11, 2023
Forward rates are the market's calculated expectation of a bond or security's yield in the future. In a sense, they're like a financial time machine, providing a glimpse into what the market expects interest rates to be at specific points in the future. Forward

Four-Year Swap

Apr 14, 2023
If you read a lot of mortgage rate commentary, you'll see Canada's 5-year yield continuously cited as a fixed-rate indicator. It's a handy rough guide to the direction of 5-year fixed funding costs—most of the time. Practically speaking, insured 5-year fixed rates approach

FRFI

Feb 02, 2024
FRFI is short for "federally-regulated financial institution." This includes banks, insurance companies, loan companies and federal trust companies regulated by OSFI.

FTHBI

Dec 22, 2023
The First-Time Home Buyer Incentive (FTHBI) is a CMHC program meant to lower mortgage payments, interest expense and default insurance costs for eligible first-time homebuyers. The program provides 5% or 10% of the home's purchase price to put towards a down payment, thus reducing the loan amount, interest

GDS

Jun 01, 2023
TDS stands for "gross debt service." A borrower's GDS ratio equals his/her monthly cost of carrying a mortgage divided by total gross monthly income. In other words, it's the percentage of income needed to cover basic housing costs. Prime lenders commonly underwrite mortgage

GFC

Jun 05, 2023
GFC is an acronym for Global Financial Crisis. The GFC lasted from 2007 to 2009 and was the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Here's a timeline of its major events...

GoC

Jun 23, 2023
Short for "Government of Canada." "GoCs" refers to Government of Canada bonds.

Hawkish

Dec 08, 2023
“Hawkish” refers to a type of monetary policy that favours higher interest rates and less stimulus to restrain economic growth and employment. If the Bank of Canada has a hawkish stance, it means it wants to make borrowing harder for consumers and businesses, which can decrease spending, demand, and production.

High-ratio

Jul 16, 2023
A high-ratio mortgage has a loan-to-value over 80%, typically requiring default insurance.

Insurable

May 13, 2024
An insurable mortgage has at least 20% equity and meets other normal default insurance requirements, for example: * Purchase or transfer (no refinances) * 25-year maximum amortization * Maximum purchase price under $1 million * Maximum debt ratios of 39% #GDS# and 44% #TDS# Insurable mortgages are bulk insured by the lender and securitized.

Interest Offsetting

Nov 10, 2024
Interest offsetting is when you combine a credit line and chequing account into a single account. This lets the homeowner use their savings and incoming income to offset the principal owed on their borrowing.  The point is to help them save interest, pay off their mortgage faster and stay more

Interpolation

Jul 29, 2023
Interpolation is the process of drawing an implied path between two known points. Interpolation is a common method used to create yield curves.

IRD

Aug 04, 2023
Interest Rate Differential (IRD) is a type of mortgage prepayment penalty. It's meant to compensate the lender for lost interest due to the borrower's early payment. It generally applies when the: (A) borrower pays off more of their closed fixed mortgage than the lender's

KYC

Oct 12, 2024
KYC stands for "know your client" or "know your customer." KYC is a compliance requirement in Canada that mandates financial institutions, including mortgage brokers, to verify the identity of clients to prevent fraud, money laundering, and terrorist financing. This process ensures that customers are properly identified

Long

Oct 13, 2024
In trading parlance, being "long" means you own a position. Being long as a trader means purchasing a security (e.g., bond) with the expectation that its price will rise, allowing you to sell it later at a profit. Being long is the opposite of being short.

Low-ratio

Aug 29, 2023
A low-ratio mortgage is one with 20% equity or more. In other words, 80% loan-to-value or less.

LTV

Jul 23, 2023
Loan-to-value (LTV) is a ratio that compares the amount of a mortgage loan to the value of the property. It is calculated by dividing the loan amount by the property's value or purchase price and multiplying by 100. For example, if you buy a home appraised at $200,

Macroprudential

Jul 21, 2023
Macroprudential policy refers to the use of regulatory tools to limit systemic risk in the financial system. In Canada, the primary policy tools employed in this regard are related to the residential housing market. Examples include higher down payment requirements and stricter mortgage qualifying rules.

Market rent appraisal

Jul 29, 2024
A market rent appraisal is an assessment of the fair rental value of a property based on current market conditions. It's used by lenders to evaluate income potential for mortgage qualification on rental properties.

MBS

Jul 03, 2023
MBS stands for mortgage-backed security. It is a type of investment. An MBS is basically a pool of mortgages sold to investors. Investors receive ongoing funds from the payments people make on their mortgages. Investors get the rest of their principal back when the MBS matures.

Measured Move

Aug 21, 2024
Measured move analysis is a quick forecasting method used to project interest rates and prices in financial markets. It's based on the principle that rate or price movements tend to be symmetrical. In a mortgage context, we often use measured move analysis to project bond yields or other

MFC

Jun 24, 2024
MFC stands for "mortgage finance company." An MFC is typically a non-deposit-taking mortgage lender that's not federally regulated directly by OSFI. Examples of MFCs in Canada include First National, MCAP and CMLS.

MIC

Jul 31, 2023
A MIC, or mortgage investment corporation, is a lending company that takes investor funds and lends them out on mortgages. MICs mostly serve non-prime residential customers, but many finance commercial projects and also prime borrowers with a need for fast flexible financing. MICs are a fixed-income investment that provides investors

Monoline

Jul 23, 2023
A monoline is a lender that deals only in mortgages. In other words, it's got one (mono) line of products. Monoline lenders are generally not deposit-taking and they don't have branches. They tend to originate loans mainly through mortgage brokers. Examples of monoline lenders include First

MQR

Oct 09, 2024
MQR is short for "minimum qualifying rate" or "mortgage qualifying rate." The minimum qualifying rate is a bank regulator policy. It's the rate that federally-regulated lenders must use to qualify borrowers. In other words, borrowers must prove they can afford a mortgage at a

Negative Amortization

Nov 10, 2023
Negative amortization occurs when the interest on a mortgage exceeds the payment, causing the loan balance to grow.

Neutral Rate

May 22, 2023
The "neutral rate" is the theoretical monetary policy rate that keeps the economy operating at full capacity with no inflation pressure. In other words, it's the overnight rate that is considered to be neither stimulative nor restrictive for the economy. When the policy rate is neutral,

NHA MBS

Jun 23, 2023
National Housing Act mortgage-backed securities. NHA MBS is a government-sponsored way for lenders to generate funding for default-insured mortgages. NHA MBS are investments backed by pools of insured mortgages. Investors purchase these securities, which in turn provides issuers (lenders) with capital to lend against new mortgages. Investors receive monthly payments

NIM

Jan 13, 2024
NIM stands for Net Interest Margin. In a mortgage context, NIM is a key financial metric used by banks to measure the difference between the interest income they earn from loans and the interest they pay to depositors, relative to their total interest-earning assets. NIM is expressed as a percentage

OIS

Apr 08, 2023
OIS stands for overnight index swap. An overnight index swap is a bond market derivative that financial traders use for hedging and to speculate on the direction of central bank policy rates. In Canada, OIS rates equal the expected Bank of Canada overnight rate over a specific timeframe. For example,

OTBE

Nov 21, 2023
OTBE means "Other things being equal," or ceteris paribus if you're into latin. It's a phrase used to simplify economic analysis by isolating the effect that one variable has on another, assuming all other conditions remain the same. Usage example: "Higher inflation results

PCE

May 23, 2023
PCE stands for "personal consumption expenditures." PCE is an inflation gauge which tracks expenditures on goods and services in the U.S. Core PCE is the primary inflation measure used by the Federal Reserve to guide its monetary policy.

PCL

Nov 10, 2024
In Canadian banking, "PCL" stands for "Provision for Credit Losses." It represents the funds set aside by banks to cover potential losses from loans that may not be fully repaid. It's meant to help maintain stability during economic downturns. PCL levels can indicate a

POS

Jun 19, 2024
POS stands for point of sale. In the context of the mortgage industry, a POS system is a software application that facilitates the mortgage application process. Mortgage originators use POS systems to submit application data to a lender for underwriting. The biggest POS systems in Canada include: * Filogix Expert * Newton

Power of Sale

Mar 04, 2025
A power of sale is a legal provision that allows a lender to sell a property when the borrower defaults on their mortgage, bypassing the need for court intervention. This process enables the lender to recover the outstanding debt more swiftly compared to foreclosure proceedings. The lender is obligated to

Prime Mortgage

Aug 19, 2023
“Prime mortgages” are those offered to borrowers who meet standard criteria for creditworthiness and ability to repay. These criteria typically include a good credit score (e.g., 680 to 720 or more), stable employment, provable income and a reasonable debt-to-income ratio (usually a #GDS#/#TDS# ratio under 39/44).

Prime Rate

Apr 05, 2025
Canada's prime rate is the base interest rate that major banks charge their most creditworthy customers. It is directly influenced by the Bank of Canada's policy interest rate. Changes in the prime rate affect loans, mortgages, and lines of credit across the country, making it a

QE

Jan 12, 2024
QE is short for quantitative easing. Quantitative easing is a monetary policy where central banks increase their holdings of government bonds and other financial assets (i.e., purchase them in the market) in order to increase the money supply and stimulate inflation. This process is the reverse of "quantitative

QT

Jan 12, 2024
QT is short for quantitative tightening. Quantitative tightening is a monetary policy where central banks reduce (sell) their holdings of government bonds and other financial assets to decrease the money supply and control inflation. This process is the reverse of "quantitative easing," where central banks purchase assets to

Qualifying Rate

Mar 26, 2024
The minimum interest rate that lenders must use to calculate a borrower's maximum affordable mortgage payment when qualifying for a mortgage. The government sets Canada's minimum qualifying rate for federally regulated lenders. It is equal to the greater of 5.25% or the contract rate plus

R-star

Nov 07, 2023
R-star, or r*, is the real neutral rate of interest that keeps the economy steady over the long run when we're at full employment with stable inflation. By steady, we mean neither expanding nor contracting. R-star is a theoretical number that can't be known in real-time,

Rate Simulation

Mar 05, 2024
MLN runs rate simulations weekly to assess which terms project to have the lowest hypothetical cost of borrowing given: * The leading nationally advertised rates * The market's current forward rate expectations * Historical rate spreads (used with forward rates to project renewal rates) * An estimated $300 in switching costs at

Readvanceable

Sep 22, 2023
When a mortgage is readvanceable, it means you can reborrow the principal that you pay. A readvanceable mortgage has two or more portions: 1. A regular mortgage 2. A revolving line of credit (LOC) The LOC limit increases each time you make a principal payment on the mortgage. The readvanceable

Real Interest Rates

Apr 20, 2024
Real interest rates are nominal rates minus inflation. For example, if the real Bank of Canada policy rate is 5.00% and the year-ahead outlook for inflation is 2.5%, the real policy rate is 2.5%. Real rates are crucial in economic policymaking and analysis because they: * measure the

Regression Line

Mar 18, 2024
A regression line, also called a "line of best fit," is a straight line drawn through a bunch of data points. The goal when drawing the line is to stay as close to each data point as possible. Once this line is drawn, you can use it to:

Rental Offset

Feb 09, 2024
Rental offset refers to the portion of rental income a lender permits a borrower to subtract from their housing costs. The bigger the percentage, the easier it is to qualify for a mortgage. Rental offsets are usually 50-80%, but a small number of lenders allow up to 100% on uninsured

RESL

Jan 16, 2024
RESL stands for real estate secured lending. It's basically any financing secured by residential properties, including mortgages and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs).

Shared Equity

Aug 26, 2024
A shared equity mortgage is where a homeowner teams up with an investor to split the down payment. The investor then typically gets a proportionate share of the home's price appreciation (and sometimes shares in the downside if the home is sold for a loss). Shared equity providers

Short

Oct 13, 2024
In trading parlance, being "short" means selling a security (e.g., a bond) that you don't own. This is done by borrowing it before you sell. A trader's intention when shorting is to buy back the security later at a lower price — to profit

Spread

Nov 30, 2023
A spread is the difference between two rates. For example, the spread between a competitive 5-year fixed and the 5-year government bond yield has averaged 150 bps long term. When it's much more than that, it implies that 5-year fixed rates will fall, and vice versa. The term

Stress Test

Sep 25, 2023
A procedure used by lenders to determine if a borrower can afford their mortgage payments under adverse circumstances, such as soaring interest rates or loss of income. Borrowers at federally regulated lenders must prove they can afford a payment based on a rate that is the greater of: * The contract

Structural Inflation

May 04, 2024
Structural inflation is inflation that's resistant to monetary policy and economic conditions. It results from fundamental shifts in an economy's supply and demand dynamics. Examples of its causes might include: * Long-run labour shortages * Bad long-term policymaking * Regulatory changes Structural inflation typically requires structural changes to mitigate

TDS

May 23, 2023
TDS stands for "total debt service." A borrower's TDS ratio equals his/her total monthly obligations divided by total gross monthly income. In other words, it's the percentage of income needed to cover all debt payments. Prime lenders commonly underwrite mortgage applications by assessing

Term Premium

Dec 19, 2024
Term premiums refer to the extra yield investors demand to hold a longer-term debt securities instead of a series of shorter-term securities. Term premiums account for the uncertainty and risks associated with longer time horizons. They reflect factors such as interest rate risk, inflation uncertainty, and changes in economic conditions.

Terminal Rate

Jun 04, 2023
The terminal rate is the peak policy rate in a given rate hike cycle. The terminal rate is reached when a central bank stops tightening monetary policy—i.e., when it becomes clear that inflation is under control and expected to fall back to target.

Transactional Insurance

Aug 29, 2023
Transactional insurance is default insurance that borrowers typically pay for themselves. This is usually done when they are purchasing a home with less than 20% equity, but not always. Transactional insurance differs from "portfolio" (a.k.a., "bulk") insurance, which lenders pay for to manage risk

Trigger Rate

Jun 28, 2023
A trigger rate is the interest rate at which your regular mortgage payment no longer covers the interest due. This applies to borrowers who have variable-rate mortgages with fixed payments. When the Bank of Canada raises interest rates significantly (e.g., 275+ basis points), many borrowers will see their variable

UST

Feb 27, 2025
"UST" stands for U.S. Treasury. USTs refer to U.S. Treasury securities, including bonds, notes and bills.

VRM

Jul 11, 2023
VRM is short for variable-rate mortgage. It's a floating-rate mortgage where the payment remains fixed, despite increases and decreases in the lender's prime rate. With VRMs, the borrower's amortization extends as rates increase and shrinks as rates decline. In 2023, some VRM borrowers saw

What is the Smith Manoeuvre?

Oct 07, 2023
The Smith Manoeuvre is a personal finance strategy with three goals: 1. Convert mortgage debt into tax-deductible debt 2. Build a more significant retirement portfolio 3. Use tax refunds to pay down the mortgage quicker. How does the Smith Manoeuvre work? Here are the basic steps: 1. Get a readvanceable

Y/Y

Nov 04, 2023
Y/Y stands for "year-over-year." It's a comparison used to evaluate the rate of change in statistics, interest rates or other financial performance measures. If you have a CPI value of 200, for example, and one year later the CPI is 210, that is a 5%

Yield Curve Inversion

Sep 28, 2023
Yield inversion typically refers to a case where long-term government bond yields are below short-term government bond yields. Usually, the opposite is true, as yield curves are generally upward-sloping. That's because investors demand more compensation (higher rates) for the extra risk of lending their money for longer terms.
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